PREVIEW GAME #17 NY Islanders @ Canadiens (Feb. 21/2013)

… The Canadiens look to win six straight for the first time in three years (March 6-16, 2010).

….They are 9-0-0 against teams outside of their Northeast Division this season.

….The Canadiens have won more home games than any team in the league so far. (7-3-0). At five games the Canadiens share the League’s longest active winning streak with Anaheim.

…..Montreal has allowed 35 goals – fifth-fewest in the NHL Over their last four games they’ve given up only two. Prior to that opponents scored 14 in the previous four including that 6-0 home ice loss to Toronto.

…..The Canadiens are plus-11 in the goals-for/goals-against ratio. Only Pittsburgh at plus-13 and Tampa Bay-plus 12 are better in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders rank 14th in the East at minus-11.

…..The goaltending tandem of Carey Price and Peter Budaj has a combined 2.09 goals-against average. They have divided starts the last four games, each producing a shutout and a one goal game.

…..Montreal has one power play goal in their last 22 advantages. They are 0 for 12 on the power play in the last four games. During the same four games they have killed off all 11 of their opponents’ power plays.

…..The Canadiens are 7-0-4 at home against the Islanders since a 4-2 loss Feb. 3, 2007.

….Max Pacioretty has five goals and an assist in his last five games against the Islanders. (In ten career games 6 goals,3 assists). His only career hat trick came in a 4-2 win on Long Island on Feb. 9, 2012. The third goal came into an empty net with 1/10th of a second remaining.

…..Andrei Markov will play in his season’s 17th game , four more than he played all of last year and only three short of his total for the last two seasons combined.

…..Against the Rangers Tuesday, at 17:56, P.K. Subban received the least ice time among the Canadiens six defencemen. They were his fewest minutes since his second game. Raphael Diaz led the defence and the team at 21:08

……Last season it took 30 games for the Canadiens to post their 12th win.

The Pre-Game Islanders –

….The Islanders have lost seven of their last nine

…..Evgeny Nabokov ranks fourth among active goaltenders with 318 wins (1-Brodeur 663; 2-Luongo 343; 3 Khabibulin 329). The seven goals he gave up Monday against Philadelphia match a career high.

….. The Islanders have allowed a power play goal in five straight games.

……New York has been outscored 10-1 in its last two games after totaling nine goals while winning the previous two.

……The Islanders paid the price for the Flyers embarrassing performance against the Canadiens last Saturday. Monday Philadelphia handed them a 7-0 defeat, the worst home ice loss in the franchise history.

…… John Tavares has no points in his last two games after recording seven goals and two assists in the previous five. He had a five-game point streak against the Canadiens snapped in last season’s final meeting March 17th. The Islanders still won the game 3-2 in a Bell Centre shootout.

….. Matt Moulson will play in his 263rd consecutive game for the Islanders, third longest iron man streak in Islanders history. He tied Denis Potvin for the third-longest streak in franchise history on Tuesday. Billy Harris played in the first 576 games in Islander history. Bob Nystrom is second at 301.

…..The Islanders are second-to-last in the league in goals allowed per game with 3.56,

…..As soon as Lindy Ruff was fired in Buffalo rumours started on Long Island that the Islanders would fire coach Jack Capuano and try to hire Ruff to replace him.

……Islander goaltender Rick DiPietro was the losing goaltender in Tuesday’s loss in Ottawa. He is in the eighth year the 15 year-67.5 million dollar contract he signed in 2006. In his last six years, including three this season, DiPietro has made only 55 appearances (including 26 during the 2010-11 season) won only 15 times. He is 0-3 this season.

…..DiPietro’s injury litany started with a concussion after a 2007 collision with the Canadiens Steve Begin followed, in order by a torn hip labrum, left knee meniscus surgery, facial fractures during a goaltender fight, another concussion and last year, hernia surgery.

Statistics

Season Record – NY Islanders (6-9-1) Canadiens (11-4-1) First in Northeast Division and Eastern Conference.

Last Time Out – Islanders lost 3-1 in Ottawa Tuesday. Canadiens defeated the Rangers 3-1 at Madison Square Garden also Tuesday.

Last Season – Four game season series split. Nov. 17 @ Nassau Coliseum – Islanders-4 Canadiens-3. Islanders score three goals in the first half of the second period to take 3-0 lead. Rick DiPietro replaces Nabokov in the first period. Nabokov suffered a groin injury making a pad save on a Brian Gionta shot. Parenteau, Pandolfo, Streit and Moulson scoored for the Islanders. Pacioretty, Cole and Gionta for the Canadiens. Peter Budaj in goal for Montreal. Dec. 13 @ Bell Centre – Canadiens-5 Islanders-3. Canadiens score three straight (Kostitsyn, Darche, Cole) after Islanders take a 1-0 lead. Islanders come back to tie but Nokelelainen scores the winner at 13:45 of the third. Hal Gill scored an empty net goal. Moulson, Bailey and Taveres for the Islanders. Carey Price in goal against Al Montoya. Feb. 9 @Nassau Coliseum – Canadiens-5 Islanders-3. Max Pacioretty with his first career hattrick. Scott Gomez’ first goal in over a year proved to be the winner. With the score 3-0 Lars Eller took a high sticking penalty with 3:38 remaining. Matt Moulson scored on the poser play and 1:48 later, Mark Streit scored to make it a one-goal game. Pacioretty’s third goal came into the empty net with 1/10th of a second remaining on the clock. @Bell Centre -Mar. 17 Islanders-3 Canadiens-2 (shootout) Josh Bailey scored in the sixth round of the shootout. Rookie Louis Leblanc’s fourth goal of the season in the third period tied the game and sent it to overtime. Aaron Palushaj’s first career goal had given the Canadiens a 1-0 lead before goals by Mark Streit and Frans Nielsen gave the Islanders the lead. Peter Budaj stopped 36 of 38 shots. Canadiens fourth straight overtime game.

Home/Road – Islanders on the Road – (4-3-1) Canadiens at Home – (7-3-0)